Less Than Three
by frayedoptician
Summary: First dates are always awkward, even if they're with your best friend of many years. Or maybe especially if they're with your best friend of many years. But hey, they've survived worse, right?


**I don't own Digimon or the characters or anything like that.**

 **I needed a break from writing big things, so I decided to write this fluffy Daiken because these two babies are perfect and I love them. I've been listening to a lot of Emmy the Great lately so the feeling of this fic is partly inspired by a number of songs from her newest album, Second Love.**

"What are you drinking?" Daisuke's narrowed eyes were fixated on the paper cup that rested on the table across from him, and its proprietor's delicate fingers, which brushed nervously up and down its sides.

A brief glance upward revealed that Ken's eyes were also downcast. Daisuke stole an extra moment to examine Ken's soft features, twisted as they were into a nervous grimace. His bottom lip was held tightly by his teeth, which gnawed gracelessly, and his eyes darted about seemingly at random. Finally the question registered, and Daisuke took this as a cue to affix his eyes elsewhere.

"Earl Grey." Ken said.

Daisuke's loud snort cut the silence, loud enough to disturb some people occupying the surrounding tables, who gave him inquisitive glances before returning to their own business.

"Wow Ken, I can't believe you didn't invite me to your sixtieth birthday. I thought we were friends."

Daisuke smiled at Ken expectantly, clearly pleased with his own rib.

The look of sheer terror on Kens face as he met Daisuke's glance sent the redhead into another bout of barely suppressed laughter. At some point during this display, Ken panic-stricken visage faded into a relieved smile, which warmed as gentle laughter escaped his lips.

"Very funny. And what is it you're drinking, oh judgemental-one?"

At that, Daisuke's snickering came to an abrupt halt, and he wrapped a hand around his own cup as if hiding it from sight might erase its very existence.

"Coffee." He said, defensively.

Ken raised a questioning eyebrow. He didn't say anything, he only stared at the boy across from him until he shrank back a little bit in his seat.

"Okay, fine. It's a latte."

Ken didn't let up his inquisitorial stare.

"With a shot of vanilla." He said, so quickly the words were barely distinguishable. "Are you happy now?"

A mischievous smile flashed across Kent's face for an infinitesimal moment, then his expression turned neutral and he took a slow sip of his tea. He didn't respond.

"Now who's being judgemental?" Daisuke grumbled as he stared at the offending latte.

"I'm not being judgemental." Ken said, the barest hint of a smirk tugging upward at the corner of mouth.

"Yes you are."

"I'm not." His expression turned amused. Daisuke, however, was feeling increasingly sullen.

"Yes, you are." Brown eyes narrowed and his mouth formed a hard line.

"No, I'm not." The amusement built behind Ken's eyes as he watched Daisuke's annoyance escalate.

Daisuke threw his head back in frustration, looking at the high ceiling of the café. His nerves seemed to be getting the better of him and the question of how people ever did this successfully echoed incessantly in the back of his mind.

"I promise." Ken's still-amused voice was instantly gentler, and his hand as it found Daisuke's resting on the table between them softly wrapped itself around his fingers. "I'm not."

Daisuke's stare snapped towards their intertwined hands, mouth open wide along with his eyes. If he hadn't been awkward enough before, now he stared like a moron, unsure of how to respond to the gesture. Ken blanched as well, whether it was at his own actions or Daisuke's reaction was impossible to tell.

Even in the uncouth atmosphere Ken's hand didn't release Daisuke's. He seemed reluctant to break the contact for the same reason that Daisuke gripped tightly to his narrow fingers: there was something right about the feeling of their hands together. Despite this, two pairs of eyes wandered the room, marking every place in the room except each other. The silence between the two grew.

Daisuke's attention was constantly being drawn back to their hands between them, interrupting his careful examination of the faux wood grain of the tabletop. Ken's hold on his fingers shifted, causing a moment of panic followed by a nervous flutter in Daisuke's stomach as the other boy drew distrait circles on the skin of his palm.

The silence dragged on.

Finally, Daisuke collected his thoughts and looked across the table at Ken. He stared at some invisible point in front of him, his face scrunched as he appeared to either be mentally searching for an exit or for something to say.

Daisuke opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it as he realized he had nothing to say. He growled in frustration.

"This is stupid." He stood up- freeing his fingers in the process and instantly missing the embrace of the reciprocal hand- and leaned on the table catching Ken's eyes as they looked up at him in shock. "Let's get out of here."

The sound of chairs scraping against tile floors accompanied Ken's movements as he exhaled a relieved agreement and made his way with Daisuke towards the café doors. As they stepped out into the late afternoon sunlight, the blanket of discomfort that had been stifling since their date began to lift slightly. The fresh spring air calmed Daisuke's frayed nerves and he snatched up Ken's hand.

"What do you want to do?"

Ken thought for a moment, his fingers returned to drawing lazy patterns across calloused skin.

"Well, it's been, what? A whole two hours since you last ate? Are you hungry?"

Daisuke, who up until that moment hadn't been thinking about food at all, found his stomach to be empty and calling for attention.

"Am I ever not hungry?" He knocked back the final sip of his drink and threw the empty cup into the nearest trash can, then started in the direction of his goal. "There's a new _izakaya_ near my place that I've been wanting to try, are you game?"

Daisuke's determination as he plowed towards the subway station gave the impression that he didn't really care whether or not Ken was game, but, sensing some hesitation from his companion, he stopped and turned, his expression suddenly soft and concerned. He waited patiently for a response.

"Actually…" Ken seemed hesitant, allowing the word to trail off as he contemplated how to finish. Whatever was causing his uncertainty was apparently pushed to the back of his thoughts, and a smile replaced the trepidation on his face. "Of course."

Daisuke's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he ultimately accepted. They made their way towards the subway. This time, Daisuke made his way through the crowded street much more slowly, and Ken- still joined to him by their connected hands- followed calmly beside him, despite his movements being somewhat impaired by nervousness. Once in the cover of the train and seated next to each other, Ken spoke softly.

"Why are we on this date, Daisuke?"

A look of hurt instantly flashed across Daisuke's eyes, and he dropped the other boy's hand.

"Do you not want to be?"

Ken's eyes widened as he realized how his question had been interpreted. He reclaimed Daisuke's hand and sputtered out a desperate reply.

"No! I mean, I do!" Daisuke exhaled loudly in reprieve. "I just… I meant… I just wanted to know why you asked me, I guess."

Daisuke shrugged casually. "Because I wanted to." He said plainly, perhaps his seemed confident and honest, but the simplicity of the answer was in no small part in order to mask the fluttering nervousness that Daisuke was terrified might be exposed.

"Well, why did you want to?" Ken persisted. He needed to know why, seemingly out of nowhere, his best friend had insisted they go on a date.

"Because I like you." Another straightforward answer left Ken slightly flustered.

"Oh." Was all he could muster.

They continued their subway ride in silence, allowing the metrical stop and go of the train to control the gentle sway of their torsos next to each other. The grating sound of the wheels against their tracks and the indistinct mummer of other travellers who came and went with the stops provided ambient noise for their mum journey. They exited the train to the soundtrack of the announcer's sharp, automated voice, and started along the two-block walk to the restaurant, which was also travelled in silence.

It was when they reached the small restaurant, built into the ground floor of a larger complex, that Daisuke felt a gentle tug on his hand. Still silently, Ken pulled him gently between the white and red lanterns that swung lazily against the backdrop of aging brick.

Daisuke felt himself being pulled towards the wall by both hands, his side leaning into the coarse stone as he faced his friend. The sudden releaser of what could only be hundreds of butterflies in his stomach forced him to hold his breath. He stared nervously into the eyes of his companion as anticipation accelerated his fitful pulse.

The hands that had been locked through most of the afternoon still clutched each other, but without his permission Daisuke's other hand lifted and found its way through a curtain of soft hair to grip the back of Ken's neck where he disguised its quavering with gentle touches along his spine. Ken's own free hand delicately seized the redhead's chin, and with surprising intensity and swiftness he brought his lips to Daisuke's.

The kiss that followed was not hesitant or awkward in the slightest. They both leaned into it with such fervor and confidence that it would have felt as if they had done it hundreds of times before, were it not for the growing fire that was fanned by the excitement of new explorations. Daisuke inhaled with an inaudible rumble and pulled Ken still closer, allowing his lips to move in orchestrated wanderings with Ken's.

Too soon, Daisuke felt Ken begin to pull away, and he gently nipped the other boy's bottom lip and stole a last few sweet kisses before releasing him. Daisuke couldn't keep the joyous grin off his face as he met Ken's smiling eyes.

"I like you too." Ken whispered, tracing a line with his index finger along the curve of Daisuke's jaw. He gave him one final peck before dropping his hand.

"Now let's go eat." He walked towards the entrance of the restaurant pulling Daisuke behind him, only to be stopped short as his partner remained unmoved. He turned to face the other boy, startled.

"I have another idea." Daisuke whispered, a smirk settled on his lips.

Daisuke pulled him in close.

 **That's all. I wanted to sort of capture the simplicity and sort of honesty of their relationship, which to me is part of what makes it so beautiful. I hope you enjoyed and feel free to drop a comment and let me know what you thought. Or not. It's up to you. Thanks so much for reading, and best wishes.**


End file.
